


All this Was For You

by Skeren



Category: Gundam Wing, Weiß Kreuz
Genre: Biting, Bloodplay, Explosions, Heero is a plot device, M/M, Memory Loss, Platonic Kissing, i have no regrets about this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 19:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5797159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skeren/pseuds/Skeren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Heero is killed, and Duo goes off the deep end, turning purely to his war habits, only to be found by Schwarz. Duo and Farfarello bond instantly, and for a while, everything seems like it might work out. When has that ever been the case for Duo Maxwell though?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written and posted back in January-October of 2004.
> 
> As with all my reposted works, I am attempting to only edit for grammar and spelling without rewriting the original work. I felt it prudent especially to declare that for this one, given I know it's one I've picked over more than most of them.
> 
> _/Mental speech/_   
>  _Thoughts_

**A.C. 199, L2**

Duo closed his eyes tightly against the hopelessness that was trying to eat him up inside. He was cursed. He'd been cursed all his life, but this time… He had believed that at least one person would survive his curse if he let himself love. He thought that Heero would have a chance of being overlooked. He was wrong. Opening his eyes, Duo stared up at the ruins that had been the house he and Heero had shared since the war. He didn't live there now. No one could live there at the moment. The walls were blackened, and aside from the burn marks that scored the outside of the building, there were bullet holes. He knew that if he went inside he would see even more of the destruction. Every item that they had gotten each other was gone. Each trinket that Duo had gotten Heero in his pride that he finally trusted him, gone. 

None of that stopped Duo from pushing inside the doorway. Pausing, he took a deep breath and smiled an eerie smile. He hadn't smiled like that since the war; fake, but seamless enough that no one would dare look past it. When he finally moved, he was just another black shadow among the burned and bullet-ridden carnage inside, his long braid swaying silently behind him, sweeping against his reinstated priestly clothing. He'd gotten away from the habit of wearing black, for Heero, for his friends. They’d been so happy when he’d finally ‘put away the war’. 

He released a soft, bitter laugh as he looked around his fire-damaged home. Yes… so much for putting away the war.

He wasn't allowed to be happy. He'd killed. He’d never told anyone, but he liked death. Sure, he claimed to be Shinigami, to be the god of death. But no one ever thought he really believed it. But as he told and told and told everyone…

He whispered it to himself. "I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie." 

Heero had been the one to make him stop killing. Duo had thought it would be a great idea to join up with, or even create their own little peacekeeping group, having shunned the idea of the Preventers as too peaceful for his tastes. Heero had done the only thing Duo had no defense against at that point, giving him a long, hard look after he half joking, half seriously offered up his job solution. He had told Duo that he loved him. He told Duo that they should join up with the Preventers, because it would make him happy to try and keep the peace without having to kill. Duo, in his shock, had agreed. He'd made the mistake of staying with Heero, just because those once hard eyes were gentle, open, even vulnerable, for maybe the first time while being cast his way. Duo couldn't break his own heart and leave to protect him. This was the result. He'd known there was someone out there that wasn't very happy with the Gundam pilots, but he’d really never given it a thought. 

He picked up a picture frame from an almost collapsed desk, the twisted silver holding an almost intact painting that Heero had done of himself. It was a whimsical self-portrait. 

He never gave the people who were out to get him a thought for the simple reason that it was nothing new. 

Duo pushed the broken glass away from the little painting that he held in his hands, a few tears sliding down his cheeks even as he maintained a determined smile. Heero told him while he was in the hospital that he wanted him to keep smiling. So Duo would, because he promised. This was the picture that his lover had been working on the day Duo left on his most recent assignment for the Preventers. Heero had protested and protested the idea of doing any pictures of himself, but had finally been convinced. Duo looked down on the scene that Heero had picked. He had dark blue wings in the picture, a slight smile on his face, and his eyes held a hint of fire, the beginnings of a mildly indignant look. Duo shook his head as his fingers traced over the forcibly dried oil. He'd only been joking when he suggested that Heero do the picture this way, but apparently he had been taken to heart. 

The braided man let out a slightly hysterical laugh, clutching the picture close to his body. "Damn you Heero, damn you and your precious sense of humor!" 

Duo saw him just two days before, alive. He'd come back early on an emergency page from Quatre. Heero was hurt and needed him, Quatre had told him. He's in pain, he said. 

Duo shook his head, eyes closing again as he looked around; nothing else had survived the fire. The firemen had barely been able to get Heero out. The paints and other chemicals they kept around made it go out of control, and it was all the firefighters could do to keep it from spreading. Heero hadn't been in pain when Duo got there. He was too far gone. He’d barely even managed to say goodbye.

Duo opened his cobalt eyes, and firmed his resolve. Heero had loved him. Not loves, because you can't love if you are dead. Loved. Duo had no reason to stick with the Preventers anymore. He'd had enough. Heero had died because he hadn't taken an enemy seriously. Therefore, Shinigami was back. He was back to stay. Clutching the small little bit of Heero to himself, Duo left the charred remains of his home, never noticing that he'd avoided even stirring the soot and left no footprints in his wake. 

But for one lone picture frame, it looked like no one had even been there. 

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Earth.**

Wufei looked up from his desk as a pile of papers landed solidly under his nose. Having barely avoided having his hand crushed, he was set to glare at the offender. He hadn’t, however, expected the offender to be Duo, and the glare softened almost immediately in sympathy.

"Wufei. I'm done. I was here for Heero. He's gone, so I am too, get me?" Duo was smiling, the expression bordering on a smirk. His eyes though, they just seemed so very flat.

"Maxwell, what do you mean by 'gone'? I know how Heero is gone, and I'm sorry, but... you do not mean to hurt yourself, do you?" Wufei nearly grimaced as he heard his own words. He just didn't sound like himself these days. 

"Nah Wu-man, I'm not planning on getting myself killed." In just a blink all was good with Duo, his eyes merry and his voice light. It was as though nothing was wrong with him. "I just can't be here anymore. Maybe someday you'll see me around. Don't count on it though. I won't risk you guys to the Maxwell curse too. I already made that mistake. Bye Wufei, tell the others goodbye for me."

Duo sauntered out the door, leaving Wufei stunned. 

He was on his feet quickly, mere seconds after the other man had left, and he opened his office door to chase after Duo. The only problem with that was that Duo was gone. He’d taken too long, and Wufei realized that it might very well might have been the last time he would see his best friend. Turning back to his office, he moved to his phone, calling Quatre. He simply didn't understand, and he hoped one of the others would.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**A.C. 201, Earth**

The picture was in his pocket. 

The carefully protected portrait was one of the only possessions he kept with him. Another was a set of scythes and throwing knives he had collected. 

The largest of the three scythes was at his hip, hidden within his perpetual black trench coat, the blade folded into the specially made handle. The two smaller blades were similarly made, ready for a pull from their holsters on his upper legs. The knives he kept in his pockets, a set of five that even Catherine would have been proud of. All of his weapons were black. He still wore his priestly garb, complete with the collar around his neck. He still even smiled because it had been asked of him. He was not, however, as close to sane as he once had been. 

In the year since Heero had died, Duo had gone vigilante. He didn't make friends, he didn't have teammates. He didn't leave a single trace of his passing. Well, he did leave traces, but most seemed to have trouble connecting him with the dead bodies he left in his wake. This, of course, would prove to be both a good thing and a bad thing.

He was currently on a self-appointed mission. Since he had decided to stay on earth, he had made a point of destroying those people he found were willing to disturb the peace he had worked so hard to gain. He was unaware that his methods had brought attention to him from two very different groups. One was Weiss, the other Schwarz, and neither had a clue how to get a hold on him.

Duo looked down another hallway, seeing yet another crowd of guards between him and an exit. _I'm not in the mood for this!_

He'd already killed off his target, not to mention a good fifteen guards that had been in his way, both in and out of the room. Now, he had to find a way out without killing anyone else. He didn't object to killing the idiots who got in his way, but he was getting a bad feeling about having been there for so long. Killing more people would make his exit take even longer, and he didn't like that. 

Backing silently down the hallway, Duo bit back a growl as he saw yet more people blocking his path. These people were obviously not hired on here, but they were still in the way. 

The one with the fiery red hair abruptly turned and looked in his direction, blue eyes meeting stunned cobalt for a brief second before Duo spun away from the little group. His long braid flew out behind him as he silently headed off towards his third and last option, up. He was soundly berating himself for having been seen.

_/Nagikins, did you just see what I just saw?/_ Schuldig for once sounded completely serious, mentally prodding the dark haired boy who was beside him as they halted. Having decided that once again someone they were supposed to kill was long dead upon their arrival, they had been leaving.

_/What'd you see Schuldig?/_ The reply was a flat voice, and the dark blue eyes of the owner turned on the telepath.

_/I think I just saw our killing ghost boys./_ This time, he expanded his mind voice out so the other two could hear as well. The white-haired, golden eyed Farfarello broke into a grin with the statement, waiting to be pointed in the correct direction. 

Crawford was slightly more circumspect, his gray eyes looking to Schuldig, then the other two before he nodded, a faint smile touching his lips. _/Very well, let us go retrieve our ‘ghost’ Schuldig. He's headed for the roof./_

With that order, the other three broke into a run, chasing after the phantom that had been leaving them with cleanup for the past week.

Caught up in the problem of how to get from the roof to the ground without breaking something, the former pilot was rather distracted. _Damn it, I knew this was a bad idea._ Huffing a slight breath, Duo took a step back, preparing to leap into the open air in front of him and to hope for the best. He didn't get the opportunity to jump, ending up face to face with the very same redhead he'd seen inside the building.

_This can't be good._ Reaching for one of the small scythes, Duo found everything suddenly getting dark. Puzzled, it didn't immediately register that he couldn't move either. Finally, his brilliant eyes fluttered shut as he slumped into the arms of the telepath nearby.

Grinning widely to the bundle he'd managed to capture, and wisely hiding his sudden headache, the German then looked over to Crawford. "So Bradley, where to now?"

"Don't call me that. Back to base. We'll deal with him when we get there. Was he hard to knock out?" Crawford turned, heading towards a door opposite the one they’d come to the roof from. 

Schuldig frowned at his team leader, well aware he didn't ask questions like that. "A little more than I expected, why?" 

Crawford merely nodded, turning and leaving Schuldig's sight without bothering to answer. 

-o-o-o-o-o-

Duo groaned a little, one of his hands moving slightly only to come to a halt a second later. He was tied up. _Now where do I last remember this happening?_ The thought is accompanied by not even another twitch to show that he was awake. He knew someone might already have seen him move, but it could be attributed to moving from unconsciousness to sleep if he could just hold off the laughter that was threatening to get loose. _Honestly, can't even attempt to stay in the present can I?_ Keeping his eyes shut, he avoided answering either of his own questions, listening intently to the room around him and hearing absolutely nothing.

Cracking one of his cobalt eyes open, he couldn't hold in a startled gasp as he came eye to eye with a feral golden gaze. The keeper of said eye moved back a little, nodding to himself as he looked at Duo, his pale hair falling around his face. "Do you love god?" The question was punctuated with a knife to the white priest collar around his throat. 

He didn't know it was in the middle of the night and the man was supposed to be tied up, and even if he did, it was very likely that he wouldn't care. "No, do you?"

Seeing the sudden anger in the face of his captor, as well as getting the opportunity to feel blood at his neck, Duo closed his mouth, waiting. "I do all I can to hurt god, do you want to hurt god?" 

Deciding it would be in his best interest to answer, not that his own best interest ever stopped him from talking about something like this before, but this time just felt different to him. "I kill, that is all I want to do. God does not matter to me." 

The man seemed less than satisfied, licking the small amount of blood off his knife, his gaze holding the tied man’s the entire time. He then used his knife to flick the cross out of Duo's shirt, his golden gaze looking down to it before he again met his eyes. "Your cross says you love god."

Duo smiled then, his normal grin, the one he could always command to show. "I don't love god, god cursed me a long time ago man. That there means pain to me. Don't go thinking you can steal the idea either, hear?"

He stared at him in something that looked like shock for a brief moment, feeling vaguely unnerved that he didn't seem to have any effect on the boy aside from humor. Pushing the strange thoughts away, the pale man leaned in close to Duo, nearly touching his nose with his own. "If I killed you, it would not hurt god. Who are you that you hurt god so?"

"Duo Maxwell, the one and only Shinigami." Duo quirked his lips slightly before turning his head a little, looking up to where his hands were firmly shackled over his head, then down to where his feet were tied to the bottom half of a bedpost. "Think you could let me outta these annoying things?" 

Humming, he tilted his head to follow the look the bound man had given the bindings. A moment later he gave him a wide grin. "You will hurt god with me?" He leaned forward, pausing with all seriousness as he asked his question, pinning Duo with the temporary sanity in his feral golden eye. 

Duo nodded a little then. "Yeah, buddy, I'll hurt god with you. Can I have the name of the person who's gonna save my wrists some serious pain?"

"Jei." Jei leaned over, undoing his feet first, then leaning up to undo his hands, using the knife as a lock pick with the ease of someone who has far too much practice. His eye stayed on Duo, making it clear that he was not intending on letting the man past him.

Not that he had to worry all that much, since the moment the second shackle was halfway open, the boy who had been with the men earlier in the evening came into the room, staring briefly at the situation before freezing both in place and shouting for the other two. "Schuldig! Crawford! Farfarello is out again and he's trying to let ghost man out!"

"Ghost man? What kind of stupid name is that?" Duo tried turning his head to look at the person who called him such a name, but Jei was in the way. "Am I now dead in some fashion I should be aware of?"

The second comment was met with a giggle from Jei, who the boy had dubbed Farfarello. "He isn't too good at making up names." He whispered the comment, then seemed to consider. "They don't know my name is Jei, our little fun, yes?" He'd kept many secrets away from his telepathic teammate. That was just one he decided to share with the interesting stranger who called himself Shinigami.

Giving the man frozen in his sight a wider grin, he questioned him back, "I can call you that, right?"

"As long as you hurt god with me." His reply was accompanied by his other two teammates moving into the room.

"Damn it Farfie, can't leave you alone for an hour can I?" This grumble was from the redhead that had captured him at his last kill. A second later, Duo found himself suddenly able to move, as could Jei considering that he was tugged backward by the redhead. 

Strange as it was, Duo felt a connection with the white haired madman, and shot a wide grin up to the people who clearly thought they were saving him from him, if the concern on their faces was anything to go by. "So, who is it I've been captured by this evening?"

The look on the German’s face as he attempted to pick up surface thoughts was pure comedy. He looked first shocked, then slightly embarrassed before he pulled fully away from his mind, the chaos in the small man’s mind similar to what Farfarello had, and that was enough to keep him at bay. But really, did he have to flash through all his various captures? Including the sexual ones?? "Better yet, who are you?"

"This is everyone, right? Duo Maxwell, the one and only Shinigami. I’d hit you with the rest, but I realized it was kinda cheesy." He'd developed a habit of tossing his normal name at his enemies, and since he never used it legally anymore, he found it safe to do so. He gave a slight bow to his miniature audience from his seated position before finally trying to get to his feet. His hands moved to fix his clothes, though he found, to his annoyance, that his things were missing, including the picture he'd had with him.

Seeing the braided man tense suddenly, the telekinetic was prepared, throwing up a wall of force between their group and the small figure, surprised by the sudden change of attitude.

"Where is it?" Duo swung his gaze around the room with his demand, visibly trying to calm himself down, his hands checking through his pockets more fully as he waited. "Jei, who took my picture?"

Jei didn't answer, instead moving past his surprised teammates. They hadn't expected him to move in answer to that question. Using their momentary shock to push Schuldig to the side, he pulled the small oil painting out of the pile of weapons that was tucked beyond Duo's line of sight. "It's still here."

Duo reached out his hand the moment he caught sight of the much loved and much-abused work of art, held back from leaping to retrieve it purely on Nagi's power. "Give me my picture."

Schuldig was about to say something when Farfarello looked at him, smiling slightly, and shook his head, causing the telepath to close his mouth in confusion. Crawford already knew that this odd scene had to happen, so he said nothing, merely waiting so see the outcome in full. 

Farfarello moved across the room, staying out of Duo's reach and looking him in the eye. "You don't kill them." He leaned close, almost touching his lips to his ear. "Not unless I ask you to, yes?" Pulling back from the cobalt-eyed man, Farfarello waited for the answer, ignoring his teammates.

"Alright, just give it back." Duo looked down to his hand as the picture was placed in it, and he visibly relaxed. "Thanks man."

Farfarello patted Duo on the shoulder, getting a confused look from said person, before the smile returned to his face in full force. He nodded, then turned around, looking at his teammates with a wide, crazed grin. "He's mine." That said, the white haired man looked at Nagi, waiting for him to release him, which only happened after a moment of staring and reluctance.

"Hey man, I don't belong to anybody! So, what are you people called anyway?" Duo glared at Jei before moving up beside him, looking curiously at the other three as he waited for a reply. He hadn't been in a team in many years, and he was almost certain that this was a mistake. He'd already given his word though, so he would stay. 

Nagi turned his head a little, giving Schuldig a dirty look as he felt the telepath prod at his mind. The look went entirely ignored by the German, who was looking over at Duo, a smirk flitting over his lips. "Schuldig." He then gestured to the other two, "Nagi, Crawford." Giving the man an interested, yet questioning, look he gestured towards Jei. "Farfarello."

Duo grinned again, nodding a bit. "Alright, you one of those groups that has a name or no?" He lifted his eyebrows in a teasing manner, lazily making his way over to pick up his weapons. He picked up each piece with the air of greeting an old friend, tucking them back where they were designated to go without taking his eyes off the group in front of him. 

"Yes, Schwarz. You seem rather peppy for having just gotten captured." Schuldig couldn't hide his amusement over that fact, covering for the troubling idea that he couldn't read Duo's mind and silently wailing at himself over the unpleasant idea that here was 'another one' whose mind he couldn't touch. 

"It happens all the time, or rather, it used to." Duo shrugged, walking back around the bed to stand at the foot of it. "So, food while you guys tell me why ya want me?"

-o-o-o-o-o-

Having listened to the short explanation of why they would want him as part of their team, he couldn't help a little laugh. They hadn't even managed to get to the food part yet. "So you guys are saying that you want me because I have some kind of shadow ability that none of you have. Right?" 

Looking around the table to see one nod, a crazed grin, a cold stare, and a smirk, Duo for a brief second could not hold his smile, so he spun around in his chair while he tried to compose his expression. That one little group shot reminded him too acutely of his dead and out of contact friends from the war. Schuldig was the first one to speak in reply to this puzzling response from Duo. 

"Yeah, we have our own abilities, but yours is just as valuable. I couldn't even feel your mind when you weren't cussing up a storm in it." Feeling he’d aided as much as he was willing, the redhead slouched back into his chair, maintaining his smirk.

"Cuss often in there did I? I'll have to remember not to." Duo spun back around, a wide smile on his face, and his eyes lit with something not quite entirely sane. "Oh, Heero would be angry with me if he realized I messed up like that. So, I'll fix it." 

"Heero?" This little inquiry was from Crawford. He didn't see anyone else appearing in the near future, so he allowed himself to be curious.

Duo smiled a little wider, a faintly dreamy expression on his face for a moment. "Yeah, Heero. Perfect. He could handle any weapon you stuck in his hands, and wielded them well. Sad that he stopped fighting." Duo shook himself out of his whimsy, looking at the others with something akin to horror on his face. These people were perfect strangers to him. No matter what connection he felt he had with the crazy Irishman, he shouldn't just trust them like that. 

It must have been the fact that he was alone so long. Nodding to himself, Duo looked over to Schuldig, the apparent voice in the group, and waited. It didn't take long. 

"Since this person isn't in the picture anymore, are you going to join up with us? You have managed to get ahead of our kills lately anyway, it might save us all time if we worked together."

"I already said I would stay. Ask Jei if you want to understand. Is there somewhere I can go to sleep? Since you aren't going to feed me I'd really like a little break while you people get your stories straight." Duo considered his words for a moment, then realized with saddening suddenness that he just wasn't the same person he had been a few years before. He didn't care anymore.

"Come Shini," With a wide grin, Jei left the room, a casual Duo moving after him. He had yet to see the Irish at his least logical. 

"Brad-kins! I don't get it. Farfie is acting funny around that guy."

Crawford sighed, looking to Schuldig, then Nagi. "He's meant to be here. Just… Don't try and separate the two. I have a feeling that would be a bad idea."

Nagi gave Crawford a funny look. "Why would it be a bad idea?"

Crawford shook his head, lapsing into his normal silence. 

Schuldig stared at Crawford, trying in vain to dig into the curiosity, and found himself nothing but a headache for his trouble. "We'll find out in due time, right?"

A cold smirk crossed Crawford's face then. "Of course."


	2. Chapter 2

Everything was dark. It wasn't an intentional darkness. Rather, it more closely resembled someone who refuses to open his or her eyes. If you want reality to go away, just keep your eyes closed and wait. It was an exercise in futility. Duo felt a slightly larger form settle itself on his chest, making him wheeze out a breath as he cracked his eyes open, blinking up at the pale creature that had decided he would make a perfect perch, his eye-patch an almost mesmerizing contrast to his light face. Duo had all intentions of moving to shove the offending Irishman off his chest. When that failed horribly, he realized that he was trussed up in a similar manner to what he had been in the night before. These restraints just seemed like a more permanent addition to the nice little padded room. 

Sighing slightly, the American looked up at his new companion, tracing his gaze over the visible scars almost absently, and resting. He wasn't uncomfortable like this. It was almost disturbing that this guy was reaching him on this level. Maybe it was because he could tell how much the man liked his blood when he licked it off that blade. Maybe this person craved death like he did. That would explain the phantom connection that seemed to make him want to trust the person currently sitting on his chest. 

"Sleep well?" Jei grinned at him, leaning down so that they were nose to nose. Duo had to hold back a laugh at how this seemed to be something the fellow wanted to make a habit out of. 

"Until I woke up. Now, I seem to be tied up again." Duo raised an eyebrow, giving Jei a faint smile.

"I was sleeping. I have only decided you will hurt god with me. I trust you not!" Jei laughed, the maniacal gleam that was his constant companion retreating for a moment as he gave Duo an oddly gentle caress, brushing his hair back from his eyes. The moment he lifted his fingers away the gleam returned. 

"You aren't all that crazy, are you Jei?" The long haired man wiggled a little, then looked up at his restraints before settling in to wait for his answer.

"Maybe, maybe not. What does crazy mean Shini?" Being in an oddly rational mood, Jei stretched out over his captive, more evenly distributing his weight. Resting his chin on his hands where they were flat over Duo's collarbone, watching the cobalt-eyed man patiently.

"Crazy means that the normal people don't want you anymore." Duo quirked an almost genuine grin, then tilted his head. "So, why haven't you untied me yet?"

"I like to see you tied up. Something so fragile looking all in chains." Jei followed his statement with a little giggle, and he tugged Duo's braid up his back, looking at it speculatively. The bound man’s look was somewhat suspicious, but he didn't feel like he needed to tell him to leave it alone. He already seemed to understand him on some level.

"Much as you enjoy the pretty picture that is me, I'm hungry. I missed dinner twice. So, can we work out a way for me to eat?"

Shaking his head a little, Jei shifted his weight, then bounced off Duo entirely, leaving the slighter man gasping for air as all his was forced from his body. "I'll get food, you stay there." Turning for the door, the pale man left the room, Duo staring after him, entirely perplexed.

"Nah, I can't like him. I will not get affectionate over someone who was at any point intent on killing me. Not again. No no no." Duo dropped his head back onto the bed, releasing a faintly hysterical giggle before cutting it all off and making himself calm down. He didn't like the guy. He'd just decided that he'd be his hunting partner. There. That sounded better already. Jei was his hunting partner and the others were his pack. Now he sounded like a wolf or something. Didn't matter. He liked that particular arrangement. So when a speculative mental eye peeked in on Duo, all he got was a baffling impression of a wolf pack, and a good dose of muddled looped thoughts that made no sense to him whatsoever.

Duo laid his head back down and took a few deep breaths. Then he started thinking about where he life was. Did he really want to stay with these people? Jei was interesting. He'd already told him he would help him hurt god. Hurt god, he'd never thought of it that way before. He'd always just been Shinigami. He'd always been the god of death. He'd never thought that his killing might hurt the Christian god. So, maybe that was why he was cursed. Nodding to himself as he waited for Jei to come back, he allowed a faint smile to come to his face. Everything was finally making sense. 

-o-o-o-o-o-

Farfarello got held up in the kitchen. Schuldig was acting completely bizarre, holding him up when he came into the room to search for blood before allowing him to get food. He then asked, in the absolutely wrong tone, what he'd been doing with Duo. Feeling oddly possessive of the man who called himself Shinigami, or, as Jei called him, Shini, which he knew to mean death, Farfarello knocked the German into the wall. Thus, upset that the plate of hot dogs and various other items he'd gotten for Duo had been spilled a little, Farfarello demanded that Schuldig carry his plate and the drinks he'd gotten out of the refrigerator. 

So, due to these events, Farfarello entered with Schuldig following to the soft question of "Jei?"

Jei merely shook his head and sat down on the edge of the bed, balancing the plate on a pillow. "You could have gotten loose already." It wasn't meant to be a question, he just knew the man could have gotten free, and chose to stay bound.

"You brought something to eat?" Duo rearranged, scooting back and bringing his hands down in front of him so that he could sit up, watching Jei with more trust than Schuldig, much to the telepath's annoyance. After all, redhead hadn't been the one who was going to try to knife the guy. Shaking his head, the lanky man set his burden down, watching the interaction between the two and finding himself a cushy bit of floor where he could see them both. 

"I said I would." Jei quirked his lips, head tilted to the side in consideration, then the quirk turned into a sly grin as he leaned down in front of Duo, entirely ignoring their observer. "So you’re hungry huh? What'll you give me for it?"

Poor Schuldig stared, wondering just how much Farfarello had been listening to him. The very fact that his captive didn't seem adverse to the obvious bribery further confounded the poor man. _Have these two met before or something?_

Duo, also ignoring the audience, leaned forward a little, head tilted, and replied with a soft voice. "I'll let you bite me somewhere covered." There was a faintly crazed gleam in his eye as he said that, as though he was pulling further away from what was considered sane with every second around the Irishman. By the same coin, Jei seemed perfectly able to do anything a normal person would at the moment.

"I will then." Jei grinned, and it was his normal bloodthirsty grin. He then picked up the plate on the pillow, eyeing each item for a moment before looking to Duo, deciding to work around the plate. 

The bound man looked almost pleased as he saw his meal. "Haven't seen any of that in a while, thanks."

"It fit." Jei then picked up the first item in his fingers, proceeding to hand feed him rather than letting him free of the bonds to eat on his own. Duo ate without protest, watching the pale person in front of him with an almost disturbing single-mindedness. As the last bit was eaten, Jei turned and picked up his own plate, eating quickly before setting his food and drink aside. The entire scene had the air of long practice, as well as being faintly erotic, despite the fact that the foods they had been eating could be considered anything but. 

Schuldig sat in total silence throughout the meal, allowing himself to listen to their thoughts for a little while. He could only marvel at the turns their minds took, it was as though they were on the same track, or even as though they were talking out loud to each other. This wasn't the case, but the way one would think something and the other would seem to think in reply... Schuldig didn't know what to do with it. Getting up from the floor, He was about to head for the door when a soft amused voice made him pause in his tracks. 

"Did you enjoy watching him feed me Schu-babe?" Duo tilted his head a bit, looking around Jei and batting his eyes at him, almost flirting. 

Jei frowned at Duo, then turned around and threatened Schu without saying a word. The jealous look he got for being on the end of that flirting was enough. He may be a telepath, but he could only do so well against a crazy man. Thus, Schu was quite eager to be out of the room, leaving the pair alone without answering.

Duo pouted for a moment, seeing the person he'd decided to tease retreat, then looked back to Jei and smiled. "So, where is it that I am going to be bit?" He didn't know why he felt that being bitten sounded like a wonderful idea, he just knew that he wanted it. It was as though he'd been waiting to meet up with the crazy Irishman. Immediately, Duo halted those thoughts, he wouldn't allow such a thought to possibly make something grow between them. Of course, he was completely ignoring the fact that he had basically asked the other man to mark him. Irony was at work.

Jei tilted his head to the side in consideration, running his hands down Duo's chest, then started to bunch the material up in his hands, drawing it up along his right side. "You'll see in a moment." Leaning over the exposed skin, Jei lightly inhaled Duo's smell. He decided that he must really be Shinigami like he claimed, simply because he could almost smell the death on him. He hadn't had a chance to clean up since he'd killed, and he could smell the old blood that had touched him, and that, oddly, had not touched his clothes. Flicking his tongue over Duo's side, Jei ran his hands up over Duo's ribs, allowing his eye to close. 

Duo didn't fight him in the least, rather leaning onto his opposite side to give him more area to choose from. He was, however, getting impatient to feel the bite. He wanted it, and he wanted him to hurry up and give it.

As though realizing the impatience of the man under his attention, Jei leaned down further into Duo's side, nuzzling the skin of his waist before sinking his teeth into the tender skin. Duo drew a sharp breath as the pain streaked through his side, forcing himself to remain still through sheer will. Jei didn't gnash his teeth, nothing of the kind, he merely used the natural sharpness to break the skin, stopping the pressure long before he would have taken a chunk out, but not moving until he felt the blood pool into his mouth. 

Drawing another deep breath, Duo closed his eyes, hands fisted as he waited through the bite, and trying to figure out precisely why he'd found this a good idea. Seeing no reason, he merely waited through it. As soon as Jei released the skin, he swallowed the mouthful of blood he'd gained, lapping at the bite for a few moments while he waited for the blood flow to slow. Duo found this infinitely better, the pain being replaced with a stinging pleasure as his wound was licked. Releasing a sound like a purr, Duo stretched out a little more, letting his mind go into the feeling that he was getting. Good or bad, he'd earned that bite, and he felt proud of it now that he had it. He already knew it would scar. 

Lifting his head away a final time, Jei pressed his hand over the bite and leaned down close to Duo, gaze on his lips before he took them, kissing his captive. He didn't wait for an invitation, forcing Duo's mouth open with his own and tilting his head, having him taste his own blood. Duo was still for a moment before allowing the kiss to continue; even starting to return it when Crawford entered the room, the other two on his heels. 

"Enough!" This was from Crawford, who came to the bed, and aided by Nagi, pulled Jei off and away from Duo.

Duo squinted his eyes a little, looking at the people in front of him, and licked his lips without thinking. When he tasted blood he felt mildly confused, then grinned widely, releasing a little giggle. That was it, blood loss. Nodding to himself in a woozy manner, Duo leaned back against the headboard and looked down to his cuffs. "I'm ok." Directing his attention to Jei, he grinned at him. "Did I taste good?"

Jei merely licked his lips a faint smile quirking over his lips before the gleam of sanity faded away, leaving feral lunacy firmly back in place.

"Good." Duo looked back at the others. "Could one of you uncuff me now?"

-o-o-o-o-

They had uncuffed Duo and left him in Farfarello's hands. Crawford had immediately Vetoed Schuldig's hopeful question of someone else, namely himself, watching Duo for a while. Of course, this was aided by Farfarello's knife being pressed along Schuldig's throat for even suggesting it. That was the day before.

Duo stared thoughtfully at Jei. He'd fallen asleep beside Duo and Duo was trying to understand why he had no objection to the arm tossed across his stomach. His violet gaze traced over each line of Jei's face, trying to remember where he'd seen that face before. He knew he had met the man in the past, he just couldn't remember when. It wasn't when he was a pilot though. So before. 

He startled as a brief memory crossed his mind, then grinned.

He was whispering as he flicked the hair away from Jei's face, "I think I remember you. You were that guy who was breaking into the church weren't you? Yeah, yeah you were. I caught you, and you made me promise not to tell. You said if I told I would die, so I promised. Why were you in the church Jei? Were you already trying to hurt god way back then?" Duo leaned down a little further, making his side twinge as he moved incorrectly, before he rested his hand on Jei's shoulder and shook a little. "Wakie wakie Jei."

Jei opened his eye with a low threatening growl. Of course, Duo being Duo, he was less than intimidated. He didn't care how insane he was, a growl or a glare would not bother him at all. It didn't last so long though, for as soon as Jei had seen who was shaking him, he had ceased growling.

"Hey Jei, do you remember me from before? Is that why you are so sure I'll keep my promise to help you hurt god?" Duo tilted his head back down into the pillow, fiddling idly with the end of his braid.

"You remembered. Those people are dead, I saw the destruction, and you are still alive. You lost an angel. I know that picture was an angel, and an angel died in your care. You already hurt god." Jei didn't even flinch as Duo struck out at Jei for the reminder of Heero's demise, cuffing the madman as harshly in the gut as he could achieve from this angle. It didn't even make him stop talking. "You were already marked to hurt got when I saw you. I remembered you, all this time, I remembered you. Now I get to keep you. See? You've agreed to hunt with me." 

Duo beat on Jei a few more times in his anger over being reminded of all he had lost, but none got through to the silver haired man. So, having ineffectually spent his anger, Duo glared at Jei, getting a calm, pleased gaze back. "You don't keep me Jei. I'll stay for a while, but I don't like the group thing." 

Jei laughed, a slightly rusty, but none the less amused for that, sound. "I will teach you little Shini, and I will keep you, because you will not want to go. I will show you how well we can do this together, and you will see." Petting his hands over Duo's side and hair, the Irishman smiled at Duo.

Duo couldn't help it; he wanted to belong somewhere, maybe even to someone if he had to. Jei wanted him. He knew what he'd done and it didn't bother him. He wouldn't try and stop him from killing like Heero had. Sad as it made him, Duo knew that had closed off a part of himself from Heero when that had been demanded. He could let Jei see everything, and the man wouldn't stop him. Closing his eyes, Duo tilted his hand into the gentle petting he was receiving, sighing his breath out lightly. He wouldn't have to worry about Jei dying, because the man didn't mind the thought of dying. Heero hadn't minded either, but he'd never made the effort to stay alive, while he was sure Jei would. Sighing to himself, Duo stretched out on the bed to rest. He'd think about it more later.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Duo looked around the table at the four members of Schwarz as he sat next to Jei. He'd been there three weeks, basically getting to know each of the members of the team, and learning how far they were willing to try and trust him. Despite his efforts, the only one who trusted him fully was Jei. He didn't understand why, but they asked him to come with them tonight instead of locking him up and drugging him like they normally would.

"Now, what was it you were asking me to do on this mission of yours, again?" Duo leaned forward, Jei's hand resting in the center of his back. Duo didn't mind, he'd gotten used to the Irishman constantly touching him. It was never sexual; it was always just there. Well, so far. The only sexual things that Jei had insisted on were the bites. Whenever one would start to heal, he'd get a fresh one. 

Crawford answered his question. "Tonight we have a bodyguarding job for a fellow named Jonas Smytheen. We would like for you to stay with him, because I believe that your knowledge of the people he is meeting with will prevent an incident."

"Now, who's he meeting with again that I might know?" This part was important to Duo; he didn't like being kept in the dark like this.

"A pair of people I believe were your former teammates. From what I've looked up there isn't much on em, just names. Chang Wufei and Trowa Barton. Apparently they keep to themselves most of the time." This bit was from Nagi, who was eating a donut. 

"That explains it. I'll do it. So, does this mean I get to wear my weapons in sight, or am I playing hide and seek with them?" Duo looked around, smiling.

"Ha! I never get to wear any of my best stuff when we get these jobs, I doubt he'll let you!" This comment was from Schuldig.

"If you can hide them properly, you can still wear your weapons, out of sight however. Oh yes, you need to wear a suit to this, I already got one for you. It's black on black, so I don't want to hear you complaining." Crawford stated the last, well aware that hopeful statement would fall on deaf ears. 

-o-o-o-o-o-

He was correct about that future, then again, Crawford tended not to make mistakes when it came to the future. Well, not usually. Duo complained the entire way to the place, fussing over the black suit in the back seat. Schuldig had encouraged Duo by doing much the same thing himself, though was far more effective in annoying Crawford.

"Braddikins, are we there yet?" 

"Yeah, Brad-man, how much further till we're there?"

Other various questions of this sort were batted between the Telepath and Presence Sweeper. Of course, this caused Crawford to seethe in annoyance, while Jei giggled. Finally, they arrived, and poor Crawford nearly sprinted out of the vehicle, his momentum enough that he nearly tipped over. It was uncertain if he could handle two people with the type of humor that Schuldig and Duo had. At least not without the strong need to kill someone. 

Crawford managed to gain his composure once he was out of the vehicle. "Alright you two, behave in there, don't offend the client, and please, for the sake of my sanity, do not drink!"

"Of course Vater, we're on the clock." Schuldig sniggered, climbing out of the car, closely followed by the other members of his team. Duo looked at the other parts of Schwarz, wondering why Nagi and Jei weren't in costume.

"Hey, why are me and Schu here the only ones in monkey suits?" Duo looked back at Crawford, frowning.

"You two, and I, are going to be with the client, while those two handle the perimeter and such of the building. Come on, the client is waiting."

Dealing with the indignity of it, Schuldig and Duo followed Crawford into the building. The evening was mostly a bore. When it finally came time for the client to meet up with the group he was going to make a deal with, Duo was torn. He didn't want to see his teammates again. Then again, this was his job. Finally, job won out, and he followed Smytheen into the room, hovering toward the back and watching as various members of the Preventers team entered the room through another door, ignoring the three bodyguards for the time being. 

Wufei was the first one to greet Smytheen, taking the offered hand with a nod. "Mr. Smytheen."

Trowa didn't even bother with that, merely nodding at the man before taking his seat, the other three men and the two women each introducing themselves to Smytheen as they were asked. It was only after everyone was seated that Wufei and Trowa looked more closely at the bodyguards that had accompanied the drug lord into the room. 

Wufei's eyes widened a bit, and he gestured slightly with one hand to make sure that Trowa saw the same thing he saw, getting a little nod in return.

There was no further reaction from the two as things were discussed, though when their subordinates moved a certain way head's were shaken no. 

It was toward the end of the meeting that Schuldig made a comment through telepathy that made Duo giggle. This, of course, again drew the attention to him.

_/Good going./_ Schuldig was mentally sniggering, but had the presence of mind to stay quietly smirking. 

Duo, of course, didn't take it lying down. _/Hey, I was only thinking of how interesting it would be to stick you against a flagpole during a thunderstorm./_ Duo's humor had rapidly gone dark under Jei's tutelage, much to Schuldig's chagrin.

_/Both of you stop it, it's time to go. Duo, you stay here and wait for us to get out with him, Schuldig will call you when we are ready for you to join us./_ Crawford broke between the two, even going so far as to step between them, two pairs of curious eyes watching the interaction. 

Crawford walked out behind Smytheen, Schuldig trailing after him and making comments that both of them could hear. _/Nice ass Bradley!/_

Grinning from ear to ear as he heard that, Duo laughed out loud as he saw the look that Crawford sent to Schuldig, as well as heard his shut up quite prominently. Turning from watching them leave, he again saw two pairs of gazes on him, the rest having moved back out into the crowd to get drinks. 

"Maxwell." Wufei studied Duo closely, his onyx eyes brimming with curiosity. "Where have you been all this time?"

"What's a matter, great Preventer man? Couldn't find one lost little soldier?" Duo stalked toward the pair, resting his bottom on the table as he gazed down at them where they sat.

"None of us could find you Duo." Trowa tilted his head to the side, giving a rare brief glimpse of both his eyes before the hair fell back into place.

"What were you doing? Were you hiding from us Duo? Why?" Wufei didn't sound the least bit friendly, his temper seeping into the words, causing Duo's eyes to narrow. 

"I was doing was I was meant to do, Wufei fey, and that is none of your concern." Duo's voice was low. He had a grin on his face and his voice was light, but it was a threat none the less.

"But why?" Trowa again.

"It is the way it should be, so do not interfere, because-" Cutting off, Duo stopped, nodding as he heard Schuldig in his head.

_/C'mon braid boy, time to go home./_

Duo grinned at the pair, then took advantage of his position to bounce down to his feet, giving first Wufei a quick kiss on the lips, then brushing them across Trowa's while the boy was still trying to understand what he'd done to Wufei. Skipping away from the pair, he tossed his comment over his shoulder, not even seeing the stunned looks he was receiving. "Tata, was nice talking to you guys!"

Then Duo was out the door, and was headed home. That night wasn't so bad, but the rest could not be said for the nights to come, because a few of the truths the braided man had come to understand were about to again be shattered.


	3. Chapter 3

It had felt wrong. Duo simply didn't understand why seeing his old comrades was affecting him so strongly. He felt as though since he had seen them, he had finally broken something inside. Closing his indigo eyes, Duo curled up in the back seat against Jei, startling the pale man for a moment before wrapping his arm around him. Usually, the braided man didn't volunteer to be touched. A partially confused, partially pleased, golden eye peered down at the saddened man in his arms as Jei tried to grasp why he was acting so. He looked almost as though he were about to cry.

Stroking his fingers over the shirt he was curled up against in the dark of the backseat, Duo blocked out the world. They reminded him. It wasn't the same reminder he thought it would be though. They didn't remind Duo of what he had lost, but what he could lose. He'd lost so much already that the thought had pained him with a physical presence, and he hadn't cared for that idea in the least.

It all just seemed wrong to him. It suddenly struck him that he had always feared for them during the war. No matter their abilities, he'd always thought that once they were beyond his sight they would dissipate, be gone and never seen again. He now knew that they could survive without him. They didn't need him. That was what was broken. That last thread to being needed by someone. Tipping his head back, Duo looked at Jei, waiting for the feral golden eye to rest on him patiently. 

Once that bright eye finally rested again on him, Duo gave a wide smile, reaching up to touch his cheek and ignoring the other occupants of the vehicle. "Jei, would you ever let me leave?"

The question had been asked softly, in a manner of one needing reassurance, not in the way of a prisoner asking his jailer. Jei replied in a manner that suited such a question. "You are mine, where else would you go?"

Nodding a little, Duo patted his face once before pulling his hand back to his lap. "Thought so. Just don't go changing your mind on me, 'k?"

"Of course not, you are my God of Death, the only one I actually wish to please, for you help me hurt the other God. Because I believe in you, it hurts Him; because I revere you before him, and that is not allowed." Jei grinned, a little insane laugh echoing throughout the vehicle. "My Shinigami, you are my blasphemy."

Duo laughed himself, settling up against Jei after the little touch of elegance only Duo seemed to draw out. "Revere me huh? You're gonna have to show me sometimes aren't you?"

Schuldig, having shared the back seat with the other two, chose that moment to remind them of his presence... If they cared. "Didn't know you had it in you Farfie. I never pegged you for a public speaker."

Casting a glance to the person who dared enter into the private moment he and Duo had been having, Jei glared. "Only for my Shini." He pulled Duo closer against him after his sentence as though the flirt would dare try something in his presence.

Duo let out a little eep as he was suddenly squished, but allowed himself to he pulled into Jei's lap. He needed the reassurance at the moment, while he let the reality of his loss finally finish reaching him. He'd never let any of his losses go before, and he took the moment now, in safety, to do so. He didn't realize that each thing he let cross his mind made it more chaotic. That each moment recalled and released drove him closer along that little line of insanity. He wasn't alone though, he had Jei. And Jei had said he'd not let him go. 

-o-o-o-o-o-

Duo allowed himself to revel in the simple relationship that Jei offered him. He refused to allow the past to touch him anymore. So after the job that night, he followed him back to his room even though he had been offered his own. He would stay by his side now. He'd made that choice and he would stick to it, no matter what consequences might be brought around by that. He never looked back, and he really had no reason to. He'd taken another step between them, so, for now, he would follow where Jei led, until that time when he would lead. He was above all else, Shinigami, and even Jei bowed to him as such. Eventually, he knew something would break painfully into his universe. It happened every time, but he was starting to not care. He was a cosmic joke, was he? Very well, he would let all the other gods laugh.

-o-o-o-o-o-

It became a habit between the two for them to go back to Jei's padded room each evening. Duo took to the room with glee, much to the chagrin of their three teammates, as he introduced them all to a variety of methods to stick band posters up to the soft walls. The room ended up with floor to ceiling black cloth and posters. Jei liked it, even if Crawford grimaced every time he went into the space. It was two days after Duo had finished redecorating the room that Nagi decided to chance looking in to see what he did. That proved to be a mistake for the telekinetic. After halting the barrage of blades that came flying his way, Nagi was then assaulted by an overly chipper Duo.

Flinching back as Duo suddenly bounded over to him, Nagi watched the other assassin, suddenly realizing that he was barely taller than he was. The thought was a little surprising, but he simply brushed it off. He'd had a reason for coming here after all. Bringing his mind firmly back to where it was supposed to be, Nagi then considered what he would have to do to bring Duo to the same state. 

"And you ought to see the way his eyes light up when he runs over that particular sort of animal, his eyes just _glow._ " Pausing briefly to watch Nagi nod to complete nonsense, Duo took it a step further, trying to bring the boy out of his stupor. "You know I've heard a few things about you being really good in the sack. Do you think you and I could take a private moment to see just how true that is?"

Nagi started to nod before stopping himself and drawing sharply away from his thoughts to look at Duo. "What?"

"You heard me right? I said, I heard you were pretty good in the sack, is it true?" He grinned widely. The boy didn't want to pay attention while he was talking, did he? Well, then he'd just have to point out to him what he'd missed!

Nagi turned bright red, a horrified expression on his face that would have done Wufei proud. That spare thought caused Duo to falter slightly, but he moved forward almost instantly as Nagi started to splutter. "Who- Who told you that?!"

Duo simply grinned, leaning closer to Nagi, then turning and bounding over to his bed. "Why Schu Schu of course, who else? So, why'd you come see little ol' me? Miss my company so much you realized you couldn't live without it?" 

Nagi shook his head no firmly. "Much as I simply _adore_ your horrible version of humor, I came because I needed to tell you we got orders to kill one of the people that managed to annoy our employers. Shinigami will be heading out as well as the rest of us on this one."

Duo sighed a little, pouting. "Oh all right, all right. Why so many people? Crawfie tell?" 

"No, he just said we needed to move out within an hour, otherwise, we might meet up with complications because the main target will be trying to leave."

Duo nodded; glad he'd talked them into letting him keep Shinigami for his codename. Who knew what he would do stuck with some ghost name? "Alrighty, then move and get your own things, I have my blades and things to get together, remember?" Waving the smaller boy from the room, Duo closed the door behind him.

He had the oddest feeling that something was going to go wrong. He just couldn't figure out what that might be.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The first part of the mission had gone well enough. At the moment, they were currently plowing through troublesome guards who were suddenly and blazingly brought to attention that there happened to be intruders in the building. Of course, the fact that the blazing alarms were set off by the, as of yet unseen by Duo team called Weiss, didn't help matters any. They had been on their way out!

_/Heads up guys, the Weiss kittens are close, and there is a new one wanting to play. I can't get through to him. He has a rock in his head. Watch out for that one./_ Drawing back to shoot his gun at yet another guard in his way, Schuldig left Duo to somewhat guard Jei as he left himself wide open. Moving himself between the guard and Jei, he slashed twice and the man was down. It wasn't until they rounded the next corner that they had any problems. There was Weiss.

Duo froze on sight of them. No, not them. Him. He had a gun pointed close to his face from how he'd moved around the corner. It wasn't the gun he was looking at though. It was the person holding onto the gun. He was dead. First killed by his own choices, then again in a more permanent death. But he was wrong. He was really standing there. It was the Perfect Soldier. His killer. He was really standing there pointing a gun at him. 

"Heero." His voice was a faint whisper, as though afraid the image would flicker and disappear the moment he took his eyes off of him. There was no recognition in those deep blue eyes. He didn't know him. Not even a glimmer. 

Heero narrowed his eyes slightly as a hint of confusion flared and was put out in his eyes. He tightened his grip on the gun, raising it to aim better but still not shooting. "I should kill you."

Duo smiled slightly, a real smile. "You always say that. Been saying that for a long time."

"I don't know you." He tried to make his voice flat, but his voice wasn't entirely certain when he said that. He didn’t know if he knew him. 

Duo watched with a little sadness, and a little glee. His artist was gone, wiped away. But here was his Perfect Soldier. He never even noticed that his teammates had paired off with the various Weiss members because all his attention was on Heero. How he'd missed him. "I remember a Heero Yuy. He was and always will be my hero. He has been since the first day I met and shot him. What do you call yourself angel? Do you call yourself Heero?"

He hesitated briefly before nodding slightly, gazing on Duo with an almost stoic facade. He didn't know him, but he knew him. The conflict kept flickering back and forth. "I'll kill you."

"Go ahead. I'm meant to die by your hands my Heero. I've always known that. If you are the one to kill me, I know that I would happily die for that." He smiled at him, a sad, but oh so real, smile. He spread his arms out in welcome to the shot. "I would have nothing to regret were you to kill me. But only you Heero, my angel. Only you could ever kill Shinigami."

Heero hesitated then, lowering the gun to his side with a highly confused look on his face. "I do know you."

It was that moment that Heero's intercom chose to be buzzed. *Korat (1), we must pull out quickly. Now is the time for one of those graceful retreats. Out.*

He pressed the button, talking back even as he started to back away, that nearly invisible vein of confusion still in his eyes. "Understood." 

Duo didn't move, waiting until he was gone before lowering his arms, standing still in the middle of the hallway as his teammates returned to find him just standing there, tear stains on his cheeks. He only offered one explanation. 

"Why can't he ever just kill me? He always puts the gun down. Always."

Schuldig stared at his usually cheery comrade in shock. He had only know him a couple months, but the sheer grief that was in his voice was nearly overwhelming. He took the chance to look, hoping he wouldn't be pulled into the tangle of his mind. And what he found was much more than he ever knew about the braided pilot. Memories. So many pushed away memories. All of the new Weiss member. Most of them pointing a gun in his face, but many of those were happy. Strange that someone being told they were going to die would be cheery about it, but it was there. The last thought he found was the conversation. He pulled back sharply from Duo's mind, stumbling into Crawford. 

Farfarello looked lost. He didn't know what to do with his hurt little death. Schuldig sighed, moving forward and taking Duo into his arms, scooping the frozen boy up into them before starting to walk. Duo didn't even seem to notice, gazing down at his hands and just asking of Schuldig one pitiful question. "Why can't he just kill me?"

"I don't know, little death. You'll know someday." Schuldig looked at his teammates, a little shocked that he was the only one out of the screwed up mess of assassins who knew how to help with trauma like this. Pitiful. "You want us to leave him for you in our fights Duo?"

They'd come out to the lot, moving quickly and talking with Duo at the same time, and they came into a garage. Hurrying through and out to their vehicle, Duo seemed to realize what was going on in a sudden burst of clarity. "Yes. Walk faster. No, better, run. They set explosives." 

He was right. It was mere seconds after they started to drive away that the building exploded. It was a much longed for sight to Duo, and he smiled as he watched the flames. 

Having passed Duo over to Jei before entering the car, the pilot was facing into the car and was watching past Schuldig. "Don't you guys ever blow things up?"

"Not usually, why?" Schuldig didn't know what to make of the question, but the longing that was added into it surprised the redhead. 

"I miss blowing things up. I haven't had a chance to play with major explosives in nearly a year. Even before that... Since we ended the war, I haven't gotten to play with the good stuff, since I was on my own." Sighing a little, he looked around the car, seeing a range of shocked looks. "What? I was the explosives expert of the bunch."

"Bunch of what Duo?" Nagi had looked everywhere on the web for information on their new member, but it was like he simply did not exist. 

"Hmm? Oh, I was a Gundam Pilot. 'Scythe was a good buddy. Still miss the monster." He released as faint words, leaning back on his living pillow. He was a wreck tonight and he knew it. He'd just sleep. Maybe when he woke, it would all be better. Maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe all the way back to Heero's death wouldn't have happened. He had the feeling it was not to be. "I can't believe he's alive..." He trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief before moving into a state of dreamless slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Korat- This is a type of cat that is thought to bring good fortune to its owner.


	4. Chapter 4

Duo was in clearly in shock. None of his new teammates could fully understand how to help him either. The rest of the drive was immersed in a sort of contemplative silence. They had a Gundam pilot on their team. That by itself was a shock. Duo wasn't the first member of their team to have previously known a member of Weiss. He was the first member who seemed to go into a state of near delirium over that fact though.

Jei had had enough of the stunned mutterings breaking the almost complete silence of the car by the time they reached their current headquarters. Duo was never this loud when he slept and he didn't like the change. "Shini! Enough. Who is that man to you?" He sounded annoyed that anyone could phase _his_ Duo in such a way.

Duo seemed to get yanked rather suddenly from his muddled sleep by the rude question, and gave Jei the oddest look. "Wha?"

Jei huffed an annoyed breath. "We are home. When we get inside, you explain."

"Kay." Duo gave Jei another funny look, then shrugged, deciding that they would inform him of what they were trying to get him to explain when they got inside. He figured the night went well, but he couldn't remember it at all. There was something about it that he knew was terribly important, but it was all a haze. Following the others in, he was a tad taken aback when Jei rounded back on him almost the moment the door was closed behind them all. 

"Just how do you know the new Weiss Kitten?" It was indeed Jei too, his countenance being far too calm for his more insane side to be active as he confronted the braided assassin.

Nagi thought for a second, then poked at Schuldig, whispering to him. "Did you notice that new Kitten seems like Aya?" 

Schuldig nodded in response, a faint smirk curving his lips as he looked at Nagi. "Sticks out like a sore thumb in a crowd and utterly lacking emotions? Yeah, I think that fits."

Schuldig's comment snapped Duo's attention to the telepath in an instant, no matter how quietly uttered. "He has emotions." The comment is an instinctive growl, annoyed, not to mention uttered without a moment's thought. Just because he'd tried to block out the night didn't mean it didn't come right back the moment its key player was brought up.

Jei turned and frowned with annoyance at the two who cut off his own attainment of an answer. He was also incredibly upset that his Shini was entirely ignoring him now, his focus firmly on the previously whispering pair. Of course, Schuldig meant for him to hear, otherwise he would have used his telepathy to talk to Nagi.

Duo narrowed his gaze as his hackles almost visibly rose in defense of his old lover, no matter if he thought he was dead and he was suddenly resurrected. _No one_ insulted his Heero in _any_ way. "My Angel has emotions. He is my perfect soldier, understand? He has no reason to show those beautiful emotions to any of you! He's mine! That means _you_ don't get to see how beautiful he is. _Understand_?!" Duo advanced on the slightly stunned Schuldig, poking him viciously in the chest. 

Retreating a couple steps from the angry Shinigami, Schuldig nodded slightly, looking around for Crawford who conveniently had gone missing once everyone was inside. "Of course. Has emotions. Your angel soldier boy. Got it." 

Nagi looked stunned by the entire turn of events and looked to Duo, deciding to try a change of subject. "Gundam pilot?"

Duo flicked his gaze to Nagi and suddenly relaxed a little. "Yes, I was. So was my Heero. He doesn't remember any of it. You've met all the pilots already I might mention. Well... Most of em anyway. They aren't exactly all on your side here. But maybe I can get my Heero back- They took him away, and now I have my chance. If I had known..." Duo shook his head, turning to an inward silence before walking away. 

Jei watched his Shini ponder and couldn't help a creepy smile. His God of Death wanted to take down an angel and keep him. He wanted to tie the pure being back into his darkness like he was before. It would hurt god. For that one reason, he was willing to give his Shini any help he needed in getting his 'Perfect Soldier' back. It was fun to hurt god, and maybe his Shini would let him play with the angel once they brought him down. That idea was even better. Now, to catch the little angel and darken his wings. That would be the hard part.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Heero wasn't acting like himself. Sure, he'd only been on the team for a few months, but they'd gotten to like the quiet boy. Omi kept his gaze on the older boy for another minute before turning away, wondering yet again what they did to him in those new training programs. He seemed so many years younger than he ought to be, while seeming so old at the same time. But now... Now he just looked like he'd been told he was going to have to shoot his best friend. Omi had to wonder then. Why hadn't he shot the new Schwarz member? He hadn't heard the conversation. He had seen that last look that the braided assassin had cast after Heero before his team members had gotten to him though. Overall, his conclusion was that he just didn't know enough about the history there. Time to go digging.

-o-o-o-o-o-

It was the next morning before Schuldig finally worked up the nerve to approach the braided assassin again. Farfarello was out and about doing something. He wasn't exactly eager to check what it was either, as he knew the crazy Irishman was nothing if not careful about hiding his tracks. That wasn’t the reason he was here though. He was here to talk to Duo. 

Neglecting for once to pin a sardonic smile on his face, Schuldig sunk down onto the sofa next to Duo where he was watching some cartoons. "You know your mind is as bad as Farfie's. I tried to touch one memory and I got sucked into a mess of them. Even so, I still don't understand what they mean."

Turning his indigo gaze from the screen, Duo looked at Schuldig closely, as though trying to understand his motivations. Whatever he saw, it didn't anger him like his comment the night before had. "What did you see?"

"Many guns in the face, a couple hazy good memories, then that conversation you had last night all over again." Honesty was the best path to take this time. At least, he hoped so.

"Ah. He did that a lot. 'Specially when I upset him. He didn't like to show he was upset. Took me a while to get him to quit it, well... He never really quit, but a paintbrush is better than a gun to the head. Did you see anything in his mind?" He waited. Duo's question was a hungry one, needing an answer with a desperation Schuldig could almost touch.

"I'm sorry. If I hadn't seen him, I would never have known he was there at all. Like you when I'm not trying to touch your mind, but even harder to get past." His blue-green eyes followed the sudden slump of Duo's shoulders and he knew he couldn't just leave it like that. Reaching out his hand to rest on his shoulder, he asked his own question. "How well did you know him?"

The purple gaze that lifted to Schuldig's was hazed in memories that he dare not try and reach out to get. Too much insanity was swirling under the surface of that mind. "I knew everything there ever was to know about him. I knew what his past was. I knew how he fought. I knew how to make him laugh or cry. I knew how to make him likable or to turn him into the cold bastard that he could be. I knew how to love him anyway. I knew how he could survive anything. I forgot he could survive anything. Stupid, stupid to forget something so important. Just because I thought my own eyes and hands could not deceive me. I should have remembered then that I was Shinigami. I didn't let him go then, and here is my proof that forgetting was stupid. He lives!" By the last pained exclamation silent streaks of tears were rolling down Duo's face, entirely ignored. 

"Duo. You'll get him back again, I'll even help you. I promise." He drew the upset younger assassin into his arms, his hands stroking up and down his back as the braided man silently cried himself to sleep. It was only after he was certain Duo wasn't awake anymore that he turned his attention to his observer. "You can come out now Farfie."

"He's so sad. He always smiles. What caused him to get so sad?" Farfarello looked to Duo, then to Schuldig, running his hand up and down Duo's back while he slept. 

"That new Kitten. He was very very close to the new kitten for a long time. That war he was a Gundam pilot in was over five years ago Farfie. From the sounds of it, he somehow watched that new Kitten die right in front of him. Now the poor boy is in shock because he's back from the dead. I promised I would help him get him back." He turned his head to look at Farfie. "I know you consider him yours Farfie. Could you help make him happy and get that new kitten for him? Will you help me do that?"

Farfarello sighed and closed his golden eye for a moment before reopening it. "I will not give him up. The kitten will have to share my Shini with me or not have him at all. I will get the angel and make him fall for my Shini. He is worth such a present."

"I'm glad you think that. Perhaps he'd decide to kill with us with this man to help. He's a new kitten, but from what I could understand, he's been with Kritiker for a while. For now, though, why don't you get the resident God of Death into a real bed that is not me huh?"

Farfarello quirked a slight grin and shook his head, backing away. "I don't think I should move him. You hold him for a while longer. I trust you will not do anything that I would not allow since you haven't already." He then turned and left.

"How odd. That was almost human of you Farfie. Never would have thought you'd even let me comfort the boy, let alone let me hold him in his sleep." Shaking his head a little, Schuldig rested his chin on top of the chestnut haired head and closed his eyes. If the new guy trusted him enough to sleep while he was holding him, he would return the favor. Just this once.

Crawford moved away from the wall with a slight smile as he saw another of his visions come to pass. He then went to the kitchen. "There's more yet to get in your way to having that new kitten Duo. But, you'll have to find that out on your own." 

-o-o-o-o-o-

When Duo woke up, he had absolutely no idea why the redhead was holding him. The condition didn't last all that long before the poor telepath was forcibly woken upon impact with the floor as Duo removed himself with a jerk from the arms around him. Blinking hazy eyes open, Schuldig looked up at Duo from the floor and blinked a couple times, trying to comprehend the lazy grin spreading across his companion’s face. Once again he felt the need to curse about Nagi being the only person on his team he could read properly. Brad and his wall, and now the two Psychos. It wasn't fair at all. 

"Did you have to toss me on the floor?" Schuldig pushed himself languidly to his feet, brushing as his backside as though he'd landed in something contrary, his eyebrow raising. 

"Nope. Just seemed like the best thing to do, y'know?" He cast a wink to the redhead before turning on his heel and _bouncing_ away towards his bedroom with a lilting call. "Jeeeeii, where are you!" 

Schuldig had to admit it would have been amusing if his rude awakening hadn't left him with an oncoming headache. He took the pause to wander off into the kitchen. There he found the called for Irishman. "Aren't you going to let him know where you are?"

"No. Teasing him hurts god." Farfarello smirked slightly to himself, turning his attention back to the array of knives he had laid out before him, and setting down the one in his hands before picking up another to polish.

Schuldig looked at the expression on his white-haired companion’s face for a moment and had a belated epiphany. Maybe Farfie wasn't any crazier than the rest of them. Sometimes Schuldig wondered what the point of having Telepathy could possibly be when these things escaped him.

A cheerful call from the door then broke into the sudden silence. "Jei! There you are!" Without a thought, the braided assassin bounded over and plucked one of the beloved knives from its owners hand and settled himself into his lap. Once again he was doing his best to deny the memory of Heero being alive and well. He was failing though. But it was faint enough he could really think about it this time. 

"Give that back. Shini plays with his own knives, not mine!" That said, Jei plucked the knife from the Indigo eyed assassin’s fingers and proceeded to re-clean it. 

"Some days you aren’t any fun at all! I'm going out, Kay? See you both later!" Then, with the equivalent of a hop, skip, and a jump, he was up and out the door, only the whisper of air left behind him.

"Should we go after him?" Schuldig watched as Farfarello picked up yet another blade and turned it in his fingers.

"No reason. He will come back soon." Farfarello otherwise didn't even bother to look away from his knife. 

Crawford chose that moment to announce himself. "He's right. Something needs to happen that cannot if you are both with him. It is both good and bad for us, but it is cloudy what the results will be still. Duo is rather unpredictable most of the time, unfortunately."

"What's going to happen Braddikins?" Schuldig batted his eyes and leaned into Crawford, resting his hand on his knee. 

"He's going to deal with some personal problems. You can wait for him to tell you the rest." He refused to tell the telepath that the boy was going to see his old teammates. It could wait. Then, they'd see what would happen next.


	5. Chapter 5

Duo casually strolled down the street, eyes closing as he paused to take a deep breath of the air. Sometimes he just never paused to appreciate the peace he'd helped bring years before. He needed to do something today though, something different from his other walks. The day before had brought up someone he had never expected to see again. He slowly moved to a nearby bench, closing his eyes to let the memory surface. He had to know what he missed. How he could have not seen that his love wasn't dead. He looked over each part of that horrendous day, and he just couldn't understand. He knew when his heartbeat stopped, then his breathing. He'd made them try for nearly and hour before the others pulled him away. He'd not left his side once! _How_ was he here now?

Duo opened his eyes, slightly shocked when he immediately saw another pair of eyes. Sad eyes. It was another person he hadn't seen in far too long. It was his once best friend. "Quatre."

"You don't look happy anymore Duo." The blonde moved to the bench beside them, his expression pained as he watched his old friend. He wasn't trying to be cruel. Simply, for that one moment, Duo had looked lost, and Quatre had felt every second, removing his surprise over seeing his friend again. He had thought this might have been a mean joke from the remaining two of his comrades, to tell him Duo was in Tokyo.

"I'm happier that I have been in years, Quatre. Why are you here?" Duo looked at his friend, a grin quirking his lips, and his eyes more than a little wild, each new event was quietly picking at his remaining sanity. 

"The others said they saw you. I was so happy you might be alive. Where have you been all this time?" Quatre reached out, holding Duo's arm in a silent plea. 

"I have been death Quatre. I have been what I always said I was." Duo moved his hand, placing it gently over the one on his arm. "I finally found a real life again Quatre. Please don't try to take it away."

"Couldn't you please come stay with me a while? I... We could get to know each other again!" Quatre tightened his grip slightly, feeling the still sharply defined muscles Duo had never allowed to fade against his hands. 

"No, I have things to do already Quatre. I have no time for that. I have my life to get back to once I part from you here." Duo's voice was firm, and his slightly feral indigo eyes met with Quatre's stunned turquoise.

"Why did you leave us Duo? I've missed you. Couldn't you please stay in contact with me now at least?" Quatre searched Duo's face, hopeful. 

Duo merely shook his head, lifting a hand to his friend’s cheek, then quickly leaning forward to brush a kiss across his lips. He was real. The kiss his reassurance to himself. "No. If you ever need someone to watch over you, you'll be able to find me. Until then, I have a dead man to catch. Goodbye, my friend. It was good seeing you." Duo rose to his feet, then paused for a moment. "Shinigami lives." Then he walked away past a line of trees.

Quatre quickly rose to his feet and tried to follow, but Duo was far too fast. He was already gone. 

-o-o-o-o-o-

Duo moved soundlessly amongst the trees, watching Quatre slump as he realized Duo was not going to be open to any more conversation on this day. Duo had to smile a little as he saw that. He had known the little blond had cared, but he’d never known that he had so deeply. He wanted to reassure the taller man, but he simply could not with how things were now.

As Duo strode away, he couldn’t help a faintly amused look. He was the only person who’d never really grown any it seemed, well, aside from Heero. Heero… Duo allowed his thoughts to cycle back to that mystery as his feet led him down the street. He’d figure it out in time; there was no doubt in his mind about that. Duo turned off into a restaurant, and allowed himself to be led to a table. He didn’t immediately pick up the menu; instead taking a few moments to look around to see what sort of place his feet led him to. It was a normal Japanese restaurant really, but it was the people who interested him. He was about to pick up his menu when his eyes caught sight of a pair of what looked to be boys near the edge of his vision. There was Heero. The boy with him was his teammate, Duo was certain, because he knew Heero would never go out with anyone else in soldier mode. 

Having his thoughts clear of the panic he had shown since finding Heero alive, he studied each of them. Heero didn’t look entirely the same now that he had a chance to better evaluate him. He looked fiercer; his eyes no longer blank of emotion but having a muted wildness much like his own. His hair was a bit longer too, in a loose fall to nearly his shoulders. Having filled his hungry eyes with the sight of his long missing beloved, Duo forced his attention away to evaluate the boy who was sitting with him. He didn’t know the kid’s name, but he did have to wonder. The kid looked Japanese, but he certainly didn’t have the coloring of one. Blue eyes, blond hair, pale complexion, it was like he was their version of little Quatre. 

He had to glance away as the waiter returned to his table, and he randomly picked something off the menu that he hadn’t looked at. He looked back over toward the table holding to Weiss members only to see them leaving. He really hadn’t expected to run across his old comrades today, and couldn’t help but be amused when he considered the fact that at least one member of the house would have known. 

“Braddy boy, you must really enjoy my suffering to not warn me about these things.” The murmur was a soft one as the braided man shook his head. He didn’t continue to dwell over the situation though, because his food arrived with a quickness that he wished the places they’d gone to during the war had had. Instead of wondering at the might have been, he placed pay on the table. He needed to go catch up with a couple kittens.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Duo had waited until his lunch was boxed and bagged before leaving the restaurant. He didn’t rush out after the pair, instead calmly following after the two. This was how he ended up in the park, his indigo eyes watching as the blonde tried to get Heero to play some sort of game. “That’s not how you get him involved at all kid, not at all.” Duo shook his head, meandering over to the pair, a faint smile on his face.

The blonde was the first to see him, his eyes widening as he recognized him. “Schwarz!”

Duo glanced over at the blonde, a smile lifting his lips then. “No, Duo. And what is it that you happen to be called?”

Heero moved a little closer, shaking away the blonde’s hand when he tried to halt him. “He is Omi Tsukiyono. You are in Schwarz.”

Duo nodded, his small grin widening. “Yes, but I am not Schwarz.”

Omi looked from one to the other in confusion as Heero nodded, accepting the point. The barest shadow of a smile even crossed his face, further driving Omi into confusion. He’d never seen Heero with a smile. 

“Your name is Duo. I will remember that.” Heero tilted his head, showing his current teammate more emotion than he’d ever seen.

“Do you remember me Heero?” Duo moved forward, eyeing Heero. 

Heero shook his head. “No. I think I’d remember someone with hair as inconvenient as that. Especially in this line of work.”

Duo shook his head on a laugh, breaking Omi from his stillness. “Of course. You never did seem to care for my hair while we were fighting. You threatened to remove it from my head often enough.”

Heero’s eyes widened slightly and he stared at Duo. “No, I wouldn’t do that.”

“So you told me after. What brought back the Perfect Soldier shell Heero? I thought you were all done being that way.” Duo had moved closer, resting his hand against his cheek and ignoring Omi completely.

“This is how I have always been.” Heero shook his head, but didn’t feel the need to move away.

“No, it isn’t. But I’ll get you back, you’ll see. Goodbye for now Heero. See you around Omi.” Duo grinned at Omi’s silent fuming and spun away, quickly backing away out of sight. He knew Heero would be able to find him if he looked, but Omi wouldn’t see him. The grin faded away the moment he left the sight of the pair and his head drooped slightly. He didn’t know how he was going to fix that memory lapse that Heero had, but he’d see if the others had any idea.

-o-o-o-o-o-

When Duo returned to the safe house, there was definitely an expectant air to the others. They were even practically posing next to each other. Duo raised an eyebrow as he took in Nagi calmly doing his homework, Jei sitting next to him with only one knife in hand, while Schuldig sat across the table pointing out math errors with Crawford leaning over his shoulder. Duo immediately came to a standstill, taking in the homey scene with quite the dash of skepticism. He had never once seen these four act like this in all the time he’d been here, so he wasn’t about to take it at face value now. It only proved his theory as the door closed behind him and four sets of expectant eyes turned on him.

Ignoring the silent questions that were directed his way; Duo set his lunch back down on the counter. Glancing to be sure that yes, they were still staring at him like lost waifs, he turned around and started pawing through the bag, looking for the portion of the meal he wanted to eat first. “What are you guys waiting for me to tell you? I’m not a mind reader you know. I’m leaving that up to Schu babe.”

Nagi turned a little in his chair, studying his homework intently as he tried to evaluate how Duo was feeling. If he was angry, or if he was just playing with them. It finally occurred to him that Duo never set aside a good meal to bitch someone out, and he was currently eating. “Duo? Where did you go?”

Duo’s lips twitched as he heard the tactful, yet completely inadequate question. “Just went to the restaurant down the street and took a nice stroll through the park.”

Jei, watching the entire interaction, smirked as he caught the fact that Duo was indeed giving direct and truthful answers. He just wasn’t telling them what precisely it was that they wanted to know. So instead of interrupting and making everyone’s life easier, he crossed his arms, waiting his turn.

Schuldig, of course, jumped in next as though cued. “Alright, so you went to the park and a restaurant, who did you talk to while you were out doing that?”

“Potential client.” Duo’s lips twitched again with his amusement before he took another bite of his noodles. 

Next turn went to Crawford. “First, who was it? Second, was that the only person you talked to?”

Duo gave a faint smile. “Quatre Winner, and no.”

Crawford appeared to have taken over the remainder of the questions for the moment, though all of them were surprised to hear the Winner name as the person. They’d come back to that. “Who else did you talk to?”

“Waitress and a few others.” Duo brought the final mouthful of noodles out of the container and turned after eating it, reaching for the next portion of the meal. He used his back being turned to allow a quick flash of a grin to cross his face before he turned back around to face them, back down to only a small smile.

“Who were the others?” Crawford smirked slightly to himself, he was having fun, even if Schuldig and Nagi looked like they were going to jump out of their chairs and throttle him if he didn’t spit it out already. 

“Heero and a kid named Omi Tsukiyono. Anything else?” Duo batted his eyes at the pair who were getting anxious and saw jaws drop. Good reaction.

“What did you talk about?” Nagi this time, homework now completely ignored.

“The waitress asked me what my order was and I told her.” Duo took another bite of his food, dodging the question rather effectively.

“Okay, how about how did you get into a conversation with the Winner heir, and what did you talk about?” Schuldig the impatient cut off Nagi’s forming question, plucking it from his head.

“Quatre was looking for me. He wanted to catch up, but I told him I had other things to do, and that he could find me if he needed me. He will, I know Quatre, he’ll track us down soon enough.” 

“What did you say to god’s warriors?” At last Jei spoke up, asking the only question that really mattered to him at the moment.

Duo paused then, a slow, wide grin crossing his face. “I told Heero that I would get him back.”


	6. Chapter 6

It was a few days before things settled back to normal from the eventful afternoon, and Duo was relieved that the others had finally stopped trying to get details. It wasn't that he hadn't considered giving them answers, but his private obsession with getting Heero back was slowly becoming not so private. It was wonderful that he had aid in fetching his errant lover, but he wasn't sure what to do with him once he got him to their location. He was sure Jei would have something to say, or do, about it if he just suddenly brought him back, but what could he do about that?

Duo was the only one in the apartments that afternoon, the others having their separate hobbies. Crawford was scrounging for clients, Nagi was at school, Schuldig was out looking for mind candy, while Jei had gone off to look for a new knife that would suit his tastes. Duo had wanted to go with Jei to the knife shop but had been effectively denied. Instead, he was sitting on the kitchen counter as he played with a knife. Jei had to be rubbing off on him. Of course, Jei wouldn't have nearly cut his fingertip off when the phone rang like Duo did.

Duo set the knife aside, hopping from the counter and moving to answer the phone before the person on the other head could hang up. "Yes 'em?" Duo held the phone to his ear, not the least little bit expecting to hear a familiar voice on the other end. 

"Is this the number to get in contact with Schwarz?" It was Quatre, there was no mistaking that voice.

Duo practically purred when he heard the familiar tenor over the line. "Why, yes it is. And what genteel person might be asking after such an elite group of people?"

Quatre sounded a little startled when he replied back, though pleased. "It's come to my attention that this elite group of people might be the perfect people to be with me during my stay in Japan. Very well-reputed in fact."

"Truly so hmm? Though sad to say it, I'm currently the only one here so I'll have to get the details from you myself, such as when and where and suchlike." Duo grinned to himself, half closing his eyes as he played with Quatre over the phone. He'd missed the blonde, and he hadn't even noticed.

"The when is as soon as possible into the foreseeable future, and the where… well, that'd have to be wherever I might be once I go out into the public you know. And suchlike… Duo, I thought I taught you to talk better than that!" Quatre sounded a little miffed at this last bit.

"Right, sorry Q babe, I forgot in the moment. You can blame Schuldig, who you'll be meeting soon enough, in fact… Just a moment." Duo closed his eyes, concentrating on the redhead. _/Schuldig, PHONE!/_

He was quite pleased when he heard the rather stunned reply that came almost immediately. _/What are you blathering about?/_

 _/Phone, tell Braddy to come home right now because I'm talking to a very important client. One that we_ will _with very little margin of doubt, be watching over./_ Duo noted that Quatre seemed rather patient on his end as he waited.

 _/Well in that case,_ certainly _oh exalted one./_ Schuldig's sarcastic reply was clipped before he went to relay the message. _/He says he was already on his way and should be there in less than five minutes./_ With that, the redhead backed off the connection.

Duo nodded to himself before turning back to the phone conversation. "Sorry about that Q love, just had to holler at Schu babe to tell Braddikins to come to the phone."

Duo could almost hear Quatre's blink, but didn't say anything as the blonde replied. "Oh, you'll have to explain that one to me later then Duo."

Duo laughed quietly, leaning back in Crawford's office chair. "Don't worry about it, you know I'll tell you anything you can think of to ask me, oh wondrous leader." Duo's voice dropped a bit, and he hear Crawford stumble near the door right before he said it. _He must have seen that one before I said it._

"I can think of lots of things you ask you Duo, so you better be prepared to talk yourself hoarse next time I see you!" Quatre sounded a tad embarrassed about the leader comment.

While Duo was listening to that last, he was trying to ward Crawford back from grabbing the phone. "Um, Quatre? I think I gotta hand you over now before Braddy decides to tackle me to get the phone. Be good and answer the nice man's questions."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Duo merely smirked as he handed over the phone to Crawford, just barely hearing Quatre's demand. 

"Quatre Winner. He wants us to play watchdog for him." Duo nodded a little and left the room, pleased with himself.

-o-o-o-o-o-

It was a good half hour before Crawford came out of his office, his non-expression cracked for a moment as he peered at Duo with the oddest look on his face, as though one of his visions didn't happen like he remembered it was supposed to. Schuldig had dragged Jei back while Crawford had been dealing with Quatre, so they were almost all there to witness the odd expression. 

Crawford finally brought his gaze to Duo, his look turning a bit less unusual. "How is it that you have an… acquaintance with mister Winner?"

Duo smirked, the expression verging on a grin as he realized that Crawford was trying to be delicate in his phrasing. "Acquaintance?" Duo snorted, shaking his head. "I know you heard what I said to him before you got into your office since you practically fell down. Me an' Q aren't 'acquaintances'. Screw that! Me an' him go way back! And no, I won't tell you any more than that, if you can't figure it out, then it's just tough luck to you."

Schuldig had been itching to dig around in the man's head for this particular friendship since Duo had mentioned it the week before, but he just knew it wouldn't be good for him, and he knew the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' a bit too intimately to test it. "Well, can you at least relay what you said that made Brad nearly fall over?"

"Well, first I have to know which part shocked him so bad. If it was the 'I'll answer anything you'll ask me' or if it was the 'oh wondrous leader', which Cat has never learned to take in stride. So Bradley bunches, which one was it?" Duo batted his eyes at the precog, grinning widely.

"The combination." Crawford narrowed his eyes on Duo before shaking his head. "We'll be starting this weekend, but we have commitments in the meantime." With that, the man turned to close himself up in his office.

"God, that guy acts more 'n more like Fei every day…" Duo turned his head, looking at the other two who were home just then. "What? It's true! So, who's gonna tell the Nagster that we're gonna be company for a rich guy after this weekend?" When they both shook their heads almost at once, Duo pouted, looking from one to the other with the most adorable puppy dog eyes. "Okay, okay, I'll do it. I don't see why you guys keep trying to make me socialize the kid, he's supposed to be Schu's project." The grumbles were halfhearted at best, but he had to say he tried.

-o-o-o-o-o-

It was the next day before Schuldig got around to telling Duo what one of the 'previous commitments' was. What went and made this one significant was that it was _his_ previous commitment. They hadn't let him go hunting on his own since they'd pulled him into the group, and Duo couldn't help feeling he was being rewarded, thus why he ended up tackling Schuldig into the carpet in his enthusiasm for conveying his pleasure. Duo, caught up in a momentary lapse of reason, proceeded to try and glomp the poor man to death, though he didn't mean to hurt him, he just forgot how strong he was at times. 

What made the entire thing permissible was his words, not that they were helping the redhead to breathe. "Thank you _so_ much! I didn't think you guys would let me out on my own mission so soon. Especially if he arranged this before he knew Q was gonna call. I mean, sure, you guys let me out to dinner an stuff when I knew you could have stopped me, but this is _entirely_ different!" If anything, Duo's grip tightened.

That was the last straw to Schuldig's way of thinking, and he first tried using his voice, though it was rather choked and high. "Shin…" The telepath grew alarmed as he heard his own voice, and immediately went for the mental approach as he realized he was getting a little lightheaded. _/Shin! Let me breathe!/_

Duo jerked back, leaving Schuldig gasping on the floor as he tried to recover from the unexpected glomping. "Oops, I didn't think I had such a good grip." Duo quirked his lips at Schuldig, mentally patting him along the mental path that had slowly gotten forged over the last couple weeks, though the German had been rather leery of the whole thing while he did it. _Must have been all that wrestling I did with Ro way back._

Schuldig's glare fell as he heard the slightly mournful tone in the mental voice, and he sighed, patting the smaller man on the shoulder as he pushed himself up on his elbows. "We'll get him back Shin. Don't worry about it, alright?"

Duo looked down at Schuldig and smiled, stretching out on his perch atop the taller man instead of getting up one he registered their positions on the floor. "Y'know, this could be a really compromising situation if Jei were to walk in right now."

Schuldig stiffened a little as the reminder made it's way into his realization. _Just because Farfarello gave me permission once to comfort him, didn't mean he intended for me to do it on a regular basis…_

Duo's smile turned wicked as he watched the German try to figure out how to squirm away. His pleasure in the mission wasn't about to distract him from that ever more important goal: taunting his teammates. That goal would never go away. "Now, don't get me wrong, I'm happy you told me I could go hunting all by my lonesome tonight. In fact… Maybe I should properly thank you."

The reaction to Duo's seductive look added onto that statement was priceless. The man practically tried to crawl out of his skin he dropped back off his elbows so fast. Then again, part of it might have been that he was trying to avoid Duo kissing him, which he was actually trying to do. Schuldig, for all his teasing, wasn't casual about human contact this way, and he didn't know what to do with the other man, especially considering that he belonged to Farfarello. He was not suicidal. In his rather turbulent thoughts, he failed to realize that flattening himself to the ground only gave Duo more of an advantage, not less, especially when he felt callused fingers tangle in his hair before the man leaned on it, pinning the telepath's head to the floor. A bare moment later, Duo had caught his lips in a leisurely, practiced kiss. 

Schuldig's reply was a brief return of the kiss before he was struck with inspiration and bit at Duo's lower lip, certain it would make him back off. He couldn't have been more wrong. Duo, with a stunned noise in the back of his throat, deepened the kiss almost instantly, the playfulness in the action vanishing as he made a concentrated effort to kiss the life out of the German. He wasn't satisfied until his sensual assault was drawing whimpers from the overwhelmed telepath, and with a last sweep of his tongue, he pulled back, looking over his victim. He could tell that the unexpected advance on his sexual side had left the man more connected to him mentally than he'd been intending, and Duo wasn't letting him re-close the connection either. The husky tone of his voice was nothing at all like the teasing he'd been applying earlier. "Now Schuldig, be a good boy and say you're welcome."

Schuldig, still staggered over the intimate contact, nodded faintly as he replied mentally. _/You're welcome./_

Duo nodded, climbing off of the redhead at that point, though the dark gleam of desire hadn't faded from his eyes. "Schu baby, don't do things to tempt me if you don't know what you're getting into." Duo raised a hand to his lower lip, waiting for the sapphire gaze to touch on his action before giving him a faintly sadistic smile and walking off. 

Schuldig watched him go, licking at the blood on his lips, still too stunned to really grasp onto coherency about the entire situation. _All that happened because I bit him?_

-o-o-o-o-o-

The mission that night wasn't particularly difficult, but Duo realized he had higher standards when it came to killing than most people in his profession might. It had been a long time since he'd been truly challenged in a life and death situation. It usually wasn't his life on the line. Duo shook his head, sighing to himself as he peered down at the dead figure near his feet, stepping back leisurely as the blood pooled out from the gutted corpse. He flicked his blade almost absently to remove the majority of the blood, considering the fact that he knew no one had seen him come here. In fact, the politician hadn't been taking the threats on his life in the least bit seriously if the lack of office cameras was any indication. Duo plucked a few tissues from the box on the desk, wiping off his blade as a half smile suddenly crossed his face.

"Why, if I didn't know already, I would think I was a genius." Shaking his head over his own silliness, Duo let the tissues flutter down to the dead body, watching the bright red of the fresh liquid soak the white material as he sheathed his blade. After a moment of looking, Duo turned and made his way behind the desk, settling into the plush leather chair as he put his feet up. He had a few hours to kill, so he'd just wait around to see how long it took for someone to notice that their boss was quite dead.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Crawford sat back from his desk with a deep sigh as he covered his eyes with a hand. Giving a yank on his connection with Schuldig, he didn't have to wait long for the redhead to peer into the room. "Yeah Braddy?" Schuldig's smile drooped a little when the name didn't even get him an annoyed look in return. "Something going to happen?"

"Meet Shini downstairs. Take Farfarello with you so you don't get blamed, and be careful. Before you can even ask, I'll tell you he was being stupid." That said, Crawford turned back to the computer screen, dismissing the German.

Schuldig frowned at the precog for a moment before he spun away, hurrying down the hall. It wasn't often that Crawford answered questions before he even thought of them, and that he chose to this time… He paused at Farfarello's door, pushing it open. "Farfie! Braddy said we need to get your pet from downstairs!" Farfarello peered out his door immediately, gold eye shimmering as he followed the telepath to see what had happened to his Shini. The pair made good time down the stairs, and when the reached the bottom, Schuldig understood why Crawford had answered his question like he had.

Though nobody was around, it was clear that every little noise had the long-haired figure on edge, his eyes moving from place to place with very little recognition evident. He wasn't all there, but it wasn't exactly hard to understand once the bullet wound to his side became apparent, the black attire having delayed the injury from being spotted immediately. As soon as it had though, Farfarello was moving forward, though only quick reflexes allowed him to dodge the blade that Duo had tried to embed in his skull, leaving it quivering in the wall behind the Irishman.

Schuldig winced at the reaction and slipped to the side while the small man was focused on his teammate, easing his way around behind the longhaired man. As soon as he saw his chance, he shot forward, pinning Duo's arms to his sides. "Is that any way to treat people who are trying to help you?"

Duo went still as he heard the question, and he came crashing back to reality from his lightheaded, defensive state. At first, he could only blink as he took in that Farfarello was standing in front of him, pointing a black bladed knife at him with a considering look in his eye. "Guys?" The confusion in the question was more than evident.

Jei sighed, returning the knife to its position on its owner as he shook his head, watching said owner slump back against Schuldig as he finally passed out from the blood loss. "My foolish little death bringer." Shaking his head, Farfarello turned his eyes toward Schuldig, moving to take the unconscious figure. "Sneaky one, give him to me."

Schuldig held Duo a moment more before releasing him to Farfarello, helping him settle the slender figure into a secure hold before they headed back up the stairs. He had to wonder how a simple mission had gone badly enough for Duo to get himself shot. Resolving himself, Schuldig decided he wouldn't be letting Duo dodge that particular question. That is, as soon as the man regained coherency. In his worry, it never occurred to Schuldig that Farfarello had trusted him enough to not interfere with his aid in subduing Duo. He'd just have to remember later.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter I ever finished for this. It's one of the few old fics I sometimes consider continuing, though thus far, no dice.

A figure shrouded in a black hood moved down the center aisle of the church, eyes on the floor, and a strange, odd little smile on his lips. “Bless me, for I am sin. I have ruined and killed, tricked and played, and I have done horrible things to void your name.”

There was the rustle of cloth, the echo of movement as the slender man moved up to the altar, head still ducked so his black hood shrouded him against the face of the cross. He had no desire to look upon that in the least. “Bless me, for I have destroyed and denied you, caused many of your houses to fall in my passing for I am damned.”

One pale hand moved the black staff in the man’s fingers to tilt at an angle across his chest, and a tarnished silver blade flickered into existence, pressed firm against the opposite arm. “Bless me, for I have never been your angel, I have been your rival, your messenger, and I aid one who seeks to make you cry in eternal woe.”

He lifted his head, violet flashing in the light of the many candles he was just a few steps away from. “How is it you permit me to your place, your house, if you should even exist? How can you not deny my mockery over you by the simple use of my chosen title and name?”

Another step, and he slid through the altar, to the other side of the solid stone. He paid that no attention, and the odd smile grew into a wry grin. “Bless me, for I am death, I deal in my life and your blood. Blood of god and his followers. Blood of his angels and those who dare oppose me.”

A breeze ran through the church, candles flickering out all around him, as though a wave, a hand had extinguished all the light. It made him laugh. “Bless me, for I am the end of each thing that ever walks your path. I am that which lies waiting.” 

He stepped forward, the hand not holding the scythe against him reaching out to touch the base of the cross. “Bless me, for I am your true child.” 

The cross crumbled away, and the dream came to an abrupt end.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Jei was nearby when the long-haired man started to come around, though perhaps hovering might have been a better way to think of it, or even skulking. It was hard to tell considering how fiercely he’d been scowling at the form on the bed for the last couple hours. Schuldig had been wise enough to bandage the smaller team member up and leave, lest the berserker took out his upset on him. 

Duo, unfortunately, didn’t have that option, and ended up staring into a half contemplative, half angry gaze. “When’d you get here?”

“We brought you here when you came home. What did my Shini do to get himself shot?” A pale hand rested over the bandages, and the gold gaze caught on the other man more intently.

It hadn’t taken long to learn that it was never a good sign to have Jei talking in the third person about you. Still, putting his hand on the wound like that made it twinge, and the smaller man squirmed a little. “I wanted to see somethin.” 

“Did you discover it?” The fingers moved, tracing the edges of the bandages intimately, though his eye never left the odd colored gaze.

The dream he’d had while he was unconscious flickered through his mind and he swallowed thickly, eyes flickering closed as he laughed shakily. “Yeah, yeah I did.”

“Then sleep, you are no good injured so.” The hand drifted to rest across his waist, and the bed dipped as the pale man climbed in beside him, curling against his side.

“What’s the hurry?” He meant the words to be in jest, so he was unprepared for the arm that tightened around him, causing the bullet wound to twinge. 

“We’ve plans come this weekend. Remember the call that brought out the angel voice?”

“Right… Cat’s coming around the city soon.” He silently cursed his bad timing on a wince.

“Sleep.” Another uncomfortable squeeze followed the command, and Duo quieted, unwilling to risk having his side start bleeding again just because he wouldn’t shut up.

-o-o-o-o-o-

“You’ve returned.”

“I have not.” Yet still the figure was on his knees, black cloak billowing around him in a semi-circle and scythe laid on the ground under his hands, forehead touching it even as he spoke. 

“If you have not, then how are you here?” The voice was soft, almost gentle, and the hood was pushed away. “You must stop this searching.”

He refused to lift his head, even as the long braid uncoiled to land on the floor, the sound echoing in the near silence. “I can’t stop. I’ve seen you, I can’t try to forget anymore.”

There was a long silence, drawing the kneeling figure to raise his head. The short haired man had his back to him. “You never tried. But you must! You must because I will never be yours again. We are enemies in truth this time.”

“No! We have never been enemies, it is a lie!” Lurching to his feet, the scythe was used as a brace against the floor, barely catching him. 

“No. We are enemies. I would have you destroy me, not save me. That is what I want.” Blue eyes were seen, glancing over the figures shoulder before a ghost of a smile crossed his face. “Give me peace.”

-o-o-o-o-o-

Next time he woke, there was no anxious hovering awaiting Duo, and he wasn’t sure if he was pleased about that. It was different, unanticipated, and he found himself aching. It wasn’t a purely physical ache either. The dreams were too vivid. He was getting that excitement he wanted, and was half tempted to blame Schuldig for the cruelty, but he knew better. He knew better and it didn’t make him feel even the slightest bit happier. Curling in on himself, he went back to sleep, unaware of his fever, but at least there were no more dreams.


End file.
